The controversy that swirled around Ballet San Jose Silicon Valley last week -- when executive director Andrew Bales told the city he needed money to make payroll -- may be over for the moment. But it only hinted at the financial and political land mines that continue to threaten the survival of the organization and other arts groups in the South Bay. <a href=http://www.bayarea.com/mld/bayarea/5142033.htm target=_blank>more</a>

Previous posts in other threads (note that some of the links may have expired):

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DavidH

Oops! Posted the wrong link.

Quote:

Many arts organizations, especially smaller community-oriented groups, traditionally have operated hand-to-mouth, season to season. But the combination of Sept. 11, the dot-com bust and the stock market's nose dive have smashed the assets of arts-funding foundations. Add those factors to a drop in ticket sales for some, and it's easy to see how arts organizations are hurting like everything else.

Thanks for correcting the link, DavidH. The situation is dire, isn't it? But you know what, the General Public still don't get it. They think arts organizations will weather this. Wait till some of their favorite companies are no more...

Here's what the communities in the SF East Bay say they need:

Quote:

Performance companies name top wishes for new year

Margot Abbott, Contra Costa Times

SINCE IT'S THE NEW YEAR, I asked a few of the local performing arts groups what resolutions they had made for 2003.

DID YOU HEAR the loud "Whoooooo-peeeee" ringing through the hills and valleys of Lamorinda last month? I was simply exclaiming my restored faith in humanity when I learned that the Lafayette City Council had directed city staff to research the prospect of creating a public art ordinance.

San Jose arts groups, already struggling with decreases in attendance and funding, received a rare financial reprieve last week when the city decided to award the full $3,192,405 in 2002-03 arts grants to 53 cultural organizations.

Not strictly dance but definitely related to basic arts management. When I worked there in the late '90's I was struck buy the wanton waste and bad management at the company. Looks like it has finally bit them in the butt...

Quote:

Tenor of the times: S.F. Opera cuts back Performances to be slashed 25% over next 3 years to save money

Joshua Kosman, Chronicle Music Critic

Beginning with the 2005-06 season, the company will stage about 65 performances a year spread over nine productions, according to general director Pamela Rosenberg. That is down from the 88 performances of 11 or 12 productions that has been the rule for the past decade.

The goal is to shrink the annual operating budget from around $60 million to $45 million. The Opera had a deficit of $7.6 million for the 2001-02 season and is predicting a $9.2 million shortfall this year.

"This city is just not able financially to support a jumbo jet," Rosenberg said. "We still think we can be a fabulous opera company. The amount we'll be producing is less, but we'll be doing that optimally."

An intersting comment on so many levels. Certainly their subscriber/single ticket and support base extends beyond the City of SF?

I'm still fuming about the safety fines they had to pay. It's difficult to feel any sympathy with that kind of wreckless attitude.

D

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LMCtech

I'm with you there David. What did I say above about bad management. Those OSHA fines are another symptom of it. But don't get me started about the problems I encountered working over there. I'd type my hands into carpal-tunnel syndrome.

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Azlan

The same AP story above also appeared in the Ogden Standard Examiner. I guess it's big news outside California as well...

Performing arts organizattions aren't the only ones to feel the pinch. From the Chronicle...

Quote:

SFMOMA to cut back on exhibits Endowments frozen after losses on market

Erin McCormick, Chronicle Staff Writer

The San Francisco Museum of Modern Art plans to cut its exhibitions by as much as 25 percent in the wake of an expected $1 million budget deficit for 2003 and stock market losses that have left its endowment fund $13.9 million in the red.

In an effort to combat increasingly intense economic pressures, more than 100 board members from nine large arts organizations in San Jose will meet tonight to discuss ways of pumping up their financial and political muscle.

Tonight's event is being organized by the San Jose Arts and Culture Roundtable. Its nine members are Ballet San Jose, the American Musical Theatre, the San Jose Repertory Theatre, Opera San Jose, the Tech Museum of Innovation, the San Jose Museum of Art, the Children's Discovery Museum, Mexican Heritage Plaza and History San Jose, which runs History Park, the Peralta Adobe and Fallon House. The Roundtable raised $30,000 from its members to commission the research on the arts' economic impact.

S.F. Ballet dismissing 4 dancers Cuts seen as necessary due to $1 million predicted budget deficit

SF Chronicle Staff Report

Facing a projected $1 million budget deficit next season, the San Francisco Ballet has dismissed four dancers, including two of its 18 principals. <a href=http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?file=/chronicle/archive/2003/03/01/BA146621.DTL target=_blank>more</a>

Despite a decline in attendance and arts grants, some of the Bay Area's biggest performing arts groups have an important cushion: assets tucked away in reserve. <a href=http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?file=/chronicle/archive/2003/04/20/MN278165.DTL target=_blank>more</a>

Opera patrons have fewer performances to choose from. Theater audiences may see costumes recycled from years past. Ballet lovers won't count as many dancers on the stage. <a href=http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?file=/chronicle/archive/2003/04/20/MN140586.DTL target=_blank>more</a>

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